Australian Blue Mussel Meat

SEAFOOD NEWS 1SEAFOOD NEWS 6

February 2012 Volume 10 No 1 ISSN 1834 4399 PO Box 75 Preston, Vic. 3072, Australia Tel/Fax: (613) 9480 1261 Email: info@seafoodnews.com.au www.seafoodnews.com.au

FEBRUARY 2012FEBRUARY 2012

The Christmas shopping rush for seafood was hectic at the queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, and Ange Christopoulos (centre back),

from Deep Blue Seafoods, with his staff, were more than happy to show their customers the quality of their seafood. Ange has been in the

seafood industry for twenty four years; twenty-one of those in the wholesale sector, and three in retail.

Te commencement of Chinese New Year

on January 23rd marked 2012 as the Year

of the Dragon. The Chinese calendar has

been in continuous use for centuries and predates

the International Calendar (based on the Grego-

rian Calendar) in use at the present The Grego-

rian has been in use for 430 years.

Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on

the first day of the new year and ends on the full

moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year

is known as the Lantern Festival, which is cele-

brated at night with lantern displays and children

carrying lanterns in a parade.

The Chinese calendar is based on a combination

of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is

about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the

solar calendar, the Chinese insert an extra month

once every few years (seven years out of a 19-

year cycle). This is the same as adding an extra

day on a leap year. This is why, according to the

solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a

different date each year.

The Chinese Dragon, or Lung , symbolizes

power and excellence, valiancy and boldness,

heroism and perseverance, nobility and divinity.

A dragon overcomes obstacles until success is

his. He is energetic, decisive, optimistic, intelli-

gent and ambitious. Unlike the the negative en-

ergies associated with Western Dragons, most

Eastern Dragons are beautiful, friendly, and wise.

Children born during Dragon Years enjoy health,

wealth, and long life.

A belated Happy New Year to ourreaders who follow the Chinese

calendar

Quickand easy to

prepare and canbe added to

seafood platters,tapas,soups,

stews, and Bouillabaise.

A good source ofiron, protein,

selenioum,iodine and omega 3.

CQ FOODS Mobile: 0419 314 522

When the lights go on again

At the time Seafood

News was going to

press work at the

Melbourne Seafood Centre

was almost complete.

An air of excitement has

been building within the

Victorian seafood industry

regarding the new facility

since its announcement.

July 2011 was a very dark

time for the Victorian indus-

try with the threat of the imi-

nent closure of the old

Melbourne Wholesale Fish

Market. Fortunately logic

prevailed and a catastrophy

was averted.

When the lights finally go on

at the Melbourne Seafood

Centre a brighter future

awaits the whole of the Vic-

torian seafood industry,

without exception.Photo: Damian Brierty

Export Potential for Tasmanian Oysters

The export of Tasmanian oysters has the po-

tential to significantly increase the value of

the industry to the State, according to Tas-

manian Deputy Pre-

mier Mr. Brian Green.

Mr Green, who offi-

cially opened the Tas-

manian Oyster

Company new factory

at Cambridge, could

see export sales grow

by 400 tons, or around

400,000 dozen oys-

ters. The facility re-

ceived AQIS approval

to export live Pacific

Oysters.

“We are now seeing high quality Tasmanian oys-

ters exported every week to customers in Japan,

Hong Kong, Singapore and mainland China with

smaller volumes also being supplied to Europe,”

Mr Green said.

The export push is being driven by Tas Prime Oys-

ters which is made up of a consortium of oyster

growers headquartered at the new factory.

Tas Prime Oysters is now

the largest producer and

supplier of Tasmanian oys-

ters and has a strong focus

on increasing export sales.

“The global oyster industry

is iconic and links closely

with the coastal and food

cultures we pride ourselves

on in Tasmania,” said Mr.

Green.

Tasmania currently pro-

duces almost four million

dozen oysters a year and

employs over 300 people

at marine farms and hatcheries around the State.

“Our oysters are sought after as a premier quality

product and the industry is now worth well over

$20 million a year. Tasmania’s oyster industry is

providing investment and jobs in regional com-

munities and has a bright future,” Mr Green said.

South Australian Government-supported re-

search has opened a “window to the future”

for South Australia’s rock lobster industry

by providing a strategic insight into the success of

future seasons up to five years in advance.

Fisheries Minister Gail Gago said the improved

catch rates currently being observed this season in

the Southern Zone rock lobster fishery were pre-

dicted several years ago by SARDI scientists

based on the monitoring of rock lobster larvae,

called puerulus

.

“Very few fisheries have the luxury of knowing

what is likely to happen so far in advance, and

therefore the ability to intervene early to ensure

the fishery remains healthy and sustainable,” Ms

Gago said.

Southern Zone rock lobster fishers have already

caught 60 percent of their 1250 tonne quota just

three months into the eight-month season, while

Northern Zone rock lobster fishers have caught

half their 310 tonne quota in just two months.

“Given the decline in the Southern Zone rock lob-

ster’s fishery status over recent seasons, it is im-

portant that we afford protection to the pulse of

recruits currently entering the fishery,” Ms Gago

said.

“This will enable the rock lobster biomass to re-

build and thereby ensure the fishery remains sus-

tainable into the future.”

SARDI scientist Adrian Linnane said high levels

of puerulus were observed across all study sites in

2005 and 2006. “In the Southern Zone it takes

five years for a puerulus to grow to adult size,”

said Dr Linnane .

“We were therefore able to advise PIRSA and in-

dustry stakeholders that while the fishery had de-

clined in recent seasons, things would likely

improve in 2010 and 2011.”

“These predictions proved to be correct, with

catch rates increasing by 56 percent in 2010 and

by a further 20 percent so far in 2011.”

SARDI researchers have been monitoring pueru-

lus across the Southern and Northern Zone fishing

areas since the mid 1990s, using collectors that

mimic the reefs puerulus naturally settle in.

Dr Linnane said the collectors were located at sites

all around the coast from Port MacDonnell to Port

Lincoln, and they were checked every month on

the full moon when puerulus settlement is high-

est.

Rock lobsters in captivity have been known to sur-

vive for up to 35 years.

Their reproductive life spans between 10 and 15

years, and while female lobsters can carry up to

600,000 eggs at a time, only one percent survive

to become adults.

Ms Gago said that while the puerulus monitoring

has proved to be a valuable predictive tool, the re-

sults are not directly used by PIRSA to set the an-

nual total allowable commercial catch (TACC)

limit.

“The two key biological performance indicators

used to set the TACC are commercial catch rates

of pre-recruit (undersized) and legal sized lob-

sters,” she said.

“It is widely acknowledged that the Southern

Zone rock lobster fishery is one of the best man-

aged in the world.

“Commercial fishers make extremely valuable

contributions to the research effort by helping with

voluntary pot sampling, survey work and provid-

ing information on tagged lobsters.”

“Window to

the future”

SARDI scientist Dr.Adrian Linnane with arock lobster.

The NSW Depart-

ment of Primary In-

dustries (NSW DPI)

has fined a man for spearing

four Blue Groper, the offi-

cial fish of NSW, at

Twofold Bay at Eden.

The 49-year-old man was

caught as a result of a rou-

tine fisheries inspection by

NSW DPI Fisheries Offi-

cers.

NSW DPI Director of Fish-

eries Compliance, Glenn

Tritton, said there are strict

rules for catching Blue

Groper in NSW.

“It is very disappointing to

see the illegal taking of our

State emblem, especially

when it has been protected

from spear fishing for more

than 40 years,” Mr Tritton

said.

Continued page 6

continued from page 1

NSW emblem fish shot“Anyone who undertakes any sort of fishing on

our waterways needs to know the rules, ignorance

is no excuse. NSW DPI will not tolerate the spear-

ing of Blue Groper and penalties can range up to a

maximum of $11,000.”

Mr Tritton said the 49-year-old man was found

snorkelling, carrying a speargun, adjacent to a

small inflatable boat on the southern side of

Twofold Bay.

When interviewed, the man admitted to spearing

the four Blue Groper.

The man was formally interviewed and was issued

a $500 penalty notice on the day.

A recreational fishing licence must be held for all

methods of fishing in NSW.

In NSW Groper can be only taken by using a rod

and line or a handline. Groper cannot be speared

and have been protected from spear fishing since

1969. Groper cannot be taken and/or sold by any

method of commercial fishing. There is a bag

limit of 2 Groper per day. There is a size limit of

30 cm (only 1 of which can be longer than 60 cm).

People must also comply with any additional re-

strictions which apply in marine parks and aquatic

reserves.

The Blue Groper became the official fish of NSW

following the death of “Bluey” at Clovelly in

2002, who was killed by an unknown spear fish-

ermen.

It is protected from spear fishing because it is so

tame and inquisitive, so it is highly vulnerable to

this method of fishing.

The Blue Groper presents in several different

colours including blue, green, brown and red and

changes sex from female to male during its life

cycle.

The largest specimens are males that are coloured

the bright blue from which it takes its name.

NSW

emblem

fish

shot

FEB 12:SN 2012 7/02/12 10:10 PM Page 1

SEAFOOD NEWS 2 SEAFOOD NEWS 5FEBRUARY 2012FEBRUARY 2012

Tasmania’s Deputy Premier, Bryan Green,

has hailed the multi-million dollar invest-

ment by Petuna Seafoods as a vote of con-

fidence in the future of Tasmania’s aquaculture

industry.

Mr Green welcomed the expansion of Petuna’s

trout and salmon processing facility at East De-

vonport which will boost production and create up

to 50 new jobs.

“The rapid rise of Tasmania’s aquaculture industry

has been a great success story and its potential is

extremely positive news for the Tasmanian econ-

omy. Petuna is one of our leading seafood com-

panies and is playing a very significant part in the

growth of the industry” Mr Green said.

Petuna’s $7.4 million expansion will enable it to

double its production capacity and this develop-

ment is another important milestone for the com-

pany with its long and proud history

Mr Green acknowledged the hard work and vision

of Peter and Una Rockliff in over 50 years in-

volvement in fishing and fish processing.

The State and Federal Governments supported the

expansion with $1 million from the jointly funded

$20 million North-West Innovation and Invest-

ment Fund.

Tasmania’s salmon and trout industry employs

around 1200 people and last year production was

worth close to $380 million. Mr Green said

Petuna was a key player in expansion plans for

salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour on the

West Coast.

The Marine Farming Planning Review Panel is

currently considering the proposal and is expected

to make a recommendation in the first half of this

year.

Vote of Confidence in Tasmania’s

Aquaculture Industry

The National Seafood Industry Alliance

(NSIA) telephone conference held on the

23rd of January has strongly supported

the initiative taken by the Fisheries Research and

Development Corporation (FRDC) to promote

the science and best practices that underpins the

Australian seafood industry.

In addition, NSIA applauds the Sydney Fish

Markets (SFM) in supporting a visit from Pro-

fessor Ray Hilborn* who will be in Australia

during the last week of February to discuss fish-

eries management with a range of chefs and

politicians in both Sydney and Canberra.

Also a range of grant proposals were discussed

that align NSIA priority areas, these included

collation of information on industry EMS’s,

Codes of Practice, Country of Origin Labelling

and resource access issues between the oil and

gas sector and the fishing industry. The NSIA is

keen to support project proposal that align with

its key priority areas of resource access, sustain-

ability, improving industry profile, federal cost

impacts and research, development and exten-

sion investment.

The NSIA is pleased that Senator Joe Ludwig

has retained the Fisheries portfolio and looks

forward to continuing to work collaboratively

with Senator Ludwig to progress key NSIA pri-

ority areas on behalf of industry.

*Ray Hilborn is a Professor in the School of

Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of

Washington specializing in natural resource

management and conservation.

The Seafood for Australia website

(www.seafoodforaustralia.com.au) is con-

tinuing to be updated with information re-

garding the proposed marine reserve network and

marine bioregional plan. A new feature of the site

will be, politicians database. The databasewill be

available in the near future and the will provide

the industry and all who support the it the oppor-

tunity to contact their parliamentary representa-

tives and voice their concerns regarding the

marine bioregional planning processes and its im-

pact on the seafood industry.

Contact your Parliamentarian

NSIA supports FRDC and SFM

The exposure draft of the Marine Safety

(Domestic Commercial Vessel) National

Law Bill 2012 is now available for public

comment at www.nationalsystem.amsa.gov.au

The National Law Bill will implement the deci-

sion of the Council of Australian Governments

(COAG) in August 2011 to create a single Na-

tional Law to regulate the safety of all commercial

vessel operations in Australian waters. It will also

establish a single National Regulator for commer-

cial vessel safety - the Australian Maritime Safety

Authority (AMSA).

The National Law primarily aims to provide the

legislative basis for the National Regulator and

allow the implementation of the new National

System for the regulation of commercial vessels

and crew in Australia to commence on 1 January

2013.

The National Law is intended to replace current

State and Territory laws governing the operational

safety of commercial vessels, in particular their

construction, operation and crew qualification

standards. Although it is being developed using

these laws as a base, the National Law will be one

Commonwealth law applied by the jurisdictions

to fill any 'gaps'. This will ensure national cover-

age and allow any standards, rules and subordinate

legislation (such as regulations and Marine Or-

ders) to have consistent application and effect

around the country.

The National Law is also designed to apply the

National Standard for Commercial Vessels

(NSCV) throughout Australia. The NSCV is a set

of standards covering commercial vessel opera-

tion, construction and crew qualifications that

have been developed by all State and Territory

transport agencies and agreed by Transport Min-

isters. The NSCV will be implemented through

subordinate legislation made under the National

Law.

As the National Regulator, AMSA will be respon-

sible for the development and implementation of

commercial vessel standards nationally, covering

vessel construction, operation and crew qualifica-

tions. However, the National Law will allow

AMSA to delegate certain functions to State and

Territory maritime safety agencies, which will un-

dertake day-to-day interaction with the commer-

cial vessel industry and implement the National

Law.

Please note:

1. This exposure draft of the National Law Bill has

not been cleared by Australian Transport Minis-

ters;

2. As a general rule in Commonwealth legislation,

1 Penalty Unit = $110 for an individual and $550

for a body corporate.

The National Law to replace

State and Territory laws

The National Law IS to replace the current State and Territory laws that regulate the safety of all commercial vessel

Almost 700,000 trout and salmon were

stocked into 135 waters last year by the

Victorian Coalition Government to im-

prove fishing opportunities for freshwater fish-

ers.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter

Walsh said 2011 was a big year for trout produc-

tion at the Department of Primary Industries

(DPI) Snobs Creek fish hatchery, as many lakes

had filled following drought-breaking rains and

were in terrific condition to be stocked.

“Several of our newly filled lakes produced out-

standing fishing last year so it made sense to

stock them again with help from revenue ob-

tained through the sale of recreational fishing li-

cences,” Mr Walsh said.

The stand-out performer in 2011 was Lake

Bolac, which produced large numbers of rainbow

trout between 2kg and 3kg. Other standout per-

formers last year were Lake Tooliorook, Hepburn

Lagoon and Lake Elingamite which provided ex-

ceptional trout fishing for fly, bait and lure an-

glers.

Further afield, several waters received trout for

the first time in years including Lake Toolondo

in the Wimmera, which was once one of Victo-

ria’s most productive and popular trout fisheries.

It was stocked with 40,000 brown trout and 5,000

rainbow trout.

“Before the drought, Lake Toolondo was known

to produce brown trout over 4kg so there are

many people hoping our stocking pays dividends

in years to come,” Mr Walsh said.

Lake Marma, near Murtoa, and Pykes Creek

Reservoir, near Ballan, were also additions to the

stocking list in 2011, receiving 1,000 and 5,000

trout respectively.

For more about fish stocking and a full list of wa-

ters stocked with trout and native fish, such as

Murray cod and golden perch, visit

www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fishing

Trout stocking for Victorian

lakes and rivers

Habitat Action Grants of almost $550,000

will be provided for a range of onground

native fish rehabilitation projects across

NSW. The funds are from the NSW Recreational

Fishing Trusts.

Twenty-five Habitat Action Grants have been al-

located this year to recreational anglers,commu-

nity groups, landholders and local councils to

restore and rehabilitate freshwater and saltwater

fish habitats.

The Habitat Action Grants in one way of how

money raised from the recreational fishing fee is

being used to support the improvement of fish

populations across NSW.

Rehabilitation of fish habitat will provide long-

term sustainable benefits for native fish stocks

which will ultimately provide a substantial ben-

efit for anglers and provide more opportunities

for rural and regional communities to promote

local tourism.

Recreational angling is the backbone of many

local communities, stimulating the local econ-

omy and bringing jobs and investment.

The 25 projects that were funded cover many

popular fishing spots in NSW and include:

Saltmarsh and mangrove rehabilitation in a

number of coastal estuaries;

Opening up nearly 100 kilometres of habitat for

fish through the remediation of three fish passage

barriers in the Hunter and Central West catch-

ments;

Enhancing in-stream habitat through river bank

stabilisation and the installation of woody habitat

such as the construction of snag complexes in the

Macquarie Rivulet and the Hunter, Talbragar and

Queanbeyan rivers; and

Restoration of fish nursery areas such as signif-

icant coastal wetlands at Tomago Wetland in the

Hunter Estuary, Belmore Wetland in the Macleay

catchment and Tambourine Bay Wetland on the

Lane Cover River.

All money raised by the NSW Recreational Fish-

ing Fee are placed into the NSW Recreational

Fishing Trusts and spent on improving recre-

ational fishing in NSW.

Grants for growth of native fish population

Commercial fishing licence suspended

A26-year-old man sustained lacerations to

his forearm after being attacked by a three

metre shark at The Lagoon, north of Coral

Bay in Western Australia.

The eco tour operator was snorkelling with a tour

group about 500m offshore when he was attacked

at 11am by what is believed to be a tiger shark.

He was helped to shore by a number of tourists.

The man was treated at the Coral Bay nursing post

before being flown to Perth by the Royal Flying

Doctor Service for further treatment.

Department of Fisheries research scientist Dr

Mike Moran said tiger sharks were abundant off

Ningaloo Reef where the man was attacked.

However, Dr Moran said shark attacks in the area

were rare.

He said tiger sharks lived mainly in warmer wa-

ters. They were fairly common as far south as the

Abrolhos Islands but became rarer as you travelled

south.

This years marron season, which began in

January the 8th and finished on February

the 5th, saw the introduction of a reduced

daily bag limit and a possession limit change.

The changes are a precautionary measure to deal

with changing environmental conditions.

Department of Fisheries Manager of Strategic

Fishing Policy Nathan Harrison had said “for the

new season the daily bag limit will be reduced

from 10 to eight marron and the possession limit

will drop from 20 to 16 marron in non-trophy

waters.”.

Existing marron fishing rules applying to trophy

waters will not change and the precautionary

measures to adjust bag and possession limits in

all other waters will be reviewed at the end of the

season to assess the impact of recent higher rain-

fall.

The reductions have been necessary because

rainfall in the region for 2010 was the lowest

recorded and, despite some unexpected good

winter rains last year, there is ongoing uncer-

tainty about future rainfall levels for the South

West.

Rainfall in Perth has declined 20 per cent in the

past decade and run off into dams has fallen by

60 per cent.

Mr Harrison said Recfishwest, the peak recre-

ational fishing body, supported the precautionary

measures to protect marron stocks, and would

also help raise awareness of the rule changes

with recreational fishers.

“The Department of Fisheries will run a commu-

nications campaign to get the message out about

the changes to the bag and possession limits in

non-trophy waters.

An expert committee of freshwater fisheries

stakeholders, including Recfishwest and Depart-

ment of Fisheries’ managers and researchers,

reached consensus on the changes and put a rec-

ommendation to the Minister for Fisheries Nor-

man Moore, which he has approved.

A licence is required for recreational marron

fishing during the season.

Man injured in Coral Bay shark attack

AScarborough rock lobster fisher has had

his commercial fishing licence sus-

pended for the rest of the current season

( until 31 August 2012) after the State Adminis-

trative Tribunal upheld a decision by the Depart-

ment of Fisheries WA.

In February 2008, the fisher was convicted of in-

terfering with another fisher’s lobster pots off

Lancelin in 2006. He was fined $2,500.

The Department of Fisheries’ Executive Director

of Regional Services, Bruno Mezzatesta, said the

suspension was aimed at helping maintain pro-

fessional standards in the industry.

“While it’s not an issue of sustainability in this

instance, this type of offence affects other com-

mercial fishers,” Mr Mezzatesta said.

“Actions like this lead to distrust and disrespect

between commercial fishers and are detrimental

to the credibility of, and harmony within, the in-

dustry.”

The department had a responsibility to ensure

the orderly conduct of Western Australia’s com-

mercial fisheries, he added.

This decision upholds the Department of Fish-

eries’ power to maintain standards of discipline

in the industry.

It also reinforces the fact that while the courts

can impose penalties, the department has the

power to suspend licences in certain circum-

stances.

Mr Mezzatesta said the vast majority of fishers

acted responsibly and adhered to the State’s fish-

ing rules.

He confirmed the Department of Fisheries would

continue to be vigilant in upholding the rules that

regulate the operation of the commercial fishing

industry.

Anyone who suspects illegal fishing or illicit fish

trading activity is taking place anywhere in the

State is urged to call FishWatch on 1800 815

507.

Marron season changes

Latest results from fish sampling in Glad-

stone in December have shown encourag-

ing signs of improvement in fish health.

Fisheries Queensland Habitat and Assessment

General Manager John Robertson said observers

went out fishing in December with commercial

fishers to monitor fish health in the harbour and

surrounding waters.

"We caught and visually inspected 37 barra-

mundi from the harbour and 517 from the fresh-

water section of the Boyne River," Dr Robertson

said.

"It's still early days, but we've found a general

improvement in the health of barramundi from

the harbour in December 2011 compared to our

monitoring in October 2011 with the percentage

of totally healthy barramundi increasing from

32% to 54%.

There was a noticeable decrease in the number

of barramundi with eye problems and lesions,

and although skin redness was still present, it was

not to the extent we had seen previously.

Only one fish (3%) was observed with an eye

problem in December compared with 39% in Oc-

tober, while the percentage of barramundi with

lesions or ulcerations decreased from 17% to 8%.

There were also no external parasites on barra-

mundi observed in December.

Dr Robertson said barramundi were surveyed in

the freshwater section of the Boyne River to tag

fish to monitor their movement and any change

in health condition over time.

"All barramundi caught in the freshwater were in

a healthy condition," Dr Robertson said.

Other fin fish species also continue to be moni-

tored in the harbour, with 95% of the 197 fish ex-

amined in December found to be healthy, which

is consistent with October findings.

Of the 29 sharks and rays caught in Gladstone,

none had lesions and 13 sharks had minor dis-

colouration. Only one shark was described as

having a large area of skin discolouration and one

with discolouration over the majority of its body.

Dr Robertson said mud crabs were sampled ex-

tensively in December after reports from com-

mercial fishers about shell abnormalities.

Fisheries Queensland observers went out with a

number of commercial mud crab fishers to mon-

itor the fishery from the Narrows south to Turkey

Beach.

Of the 939 mud crabs observed, only 6% were

identified as having shell abnormalities, which is

similar to levels previously documented in the

late 1990s.

"We have a lot more sampling and testing we

want to do before we can have a final assessment

of fish and crustacean health, but at least these

results are a positive sign for Gladstone fishers.

"To build the full picture of fish health, Dr

Robertson is urging commercial fishers to report

catches of ill health, including the proportion of

the whole catch and the location."

To report fish showing signs of ill health, contact

Fisheries Queensland on 13 25 23.

Positive signs

for Gladstone fish health

Seafood Services Australia Ltd. has wel-

comed The Aquaculture Council of West-

ern Australia as a new member and also

its two new directors, Angus Callander and

Pheroze Jungalwalla. Angus and Pheroze have

replaced retiring Directors Peter Walker and

Justin Fromm.

New directors and new member for SSA

Sydney Seafood School manager, Roberta

Muir, says she has observed a number of

trends emerging in recent years within the

food industry.

“The cult of the celebrity chef continues to grow,

and people want a chance to really connect with

them, to pick their brains,” said Ms. Muir.

A frequent request which they get at the Sydney

Seafood School is for smaller classes, where peo-

ple can cook in pairs.

“We also know that guests are keen to try a range

of wines with their meal”

To accomodate for this the School has introduced

special dinner party classes hosted by leading

chefs with a wine expert matching a different wine

to each course.

“These classes have a more intimate format, with

just twenty guests cooking in pairs under the

chef’s guidance to prepare a three-course menu

(including dessert).They then sit down at one long

table with the chef and sommelier to enjoy the

meal and discuss the food and wine”.

Wines with meals at SSS

Two Mebourne men are facing serious

penalties after allegedly being caught wait-

ing for a bus to carry away 254 abalone il-

legally taken from the inter-tidal zone at

Beaumaris.

Fisheries Officers who caught the men said 249 of

the abalone were undersized.

They were caught during Operation Abyss, a

statewide operation specifically targeting the ille-

gal take of abalone and shellfish in the intertidal

zone areas of Victoria.

Case Officer for Operation Abyss, Ben Amey said

the intertidal zone is the area from the high tide

mark to where the water is at least two metres

deep and is very sensitive and highly vulnerable

to over harvest.

“To protect this area, regulations were introduced

to include no taking of abalone and other molluscs

from these areas across Victoria,” Mr Amey said.

Bus stop bust

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publishers will not be held liable for any loss, damage or expenses incurred

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without the prior writen permission of the editor. Seafood News is edited and

published by A. Argyropoulos. Contributors: Con Cosmas, Con Aslanis, Roy

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SEAFOOD NEWS 4SEAFOOD NEWS 3 FEBRUARY 2012FEBRUARY 2012

During his recent trip to the United States

Michael Canals of CQ Foods visited the

New York Fish Market took a number of

photographs for Seafood News and made a few

observations about that market.

We began by asking Michael what time the mar-

ket opened. “The market is open from 1:00 am

till 7:00 am. with buyers permitted to come in at

5:00 am. Its design is similar to the former Mel-

bourne Wholesale Fish Market. That is, a long

hall with refrigerated stalls on each side and the

product displayed on the market floor.

Local fishing boats send their catches to the New

York Market but very little of the seafood sold

ther is locally caught. Much of it comes from

further up the East coast, from places like Glouc-

ter, Rockport and Maine and a high volume is

flown in from other parts of the US and overseas

such as Scotish salmon packed in polystyrene

boxes.

Most of the seafood is packed in waxed cardboard

boxes without plastic liners, similar to what was

used here years ago to pack lettuce and other veg-

etables. Very little of it comes in bulk bins or

plastic tubs. Some of the crabs on display were

in bamboo crates.

Not all seafood consumed in New York is sold

through the market. Large wholesale companies

do supply the market but also by-pass it. Buyers

who have built good relationships with suppliers

have their seafood delivered directly to them.

Stall holders at the market seem to be family con-

cerns that have evolved over the years similar to

what has happened at the Melbourne Wholesale

Fish Market.

Some stalls specialized in specific species of fish

while others had a variety of seafood. The stall-

holders are basically fish sellers they do not fillet

fish or carry out any other type of processing.

There are no sales auctions held seafood is sold

by private treaty sales where buyers compete with

eachother for the best price.

Australia’s seafood industry is on a very similar

level to the American industry and in certain as-

pects may even be above it. In terms of our fund-

ing for research and development we stand fairly

well in comparison to the US. The way we man-

age our fisheries may even be better than theirs

management.

The quality of our fish in comparison to the US

product is very good. “Some of our fish here can

easily stand up to the product I saw there and in

some cases even beat the US quality” said

Michael

“Where we tend to fall behind the Americans

however is in the promotion of the product to the

wider public and the promotion of seafood con-

sumption”

From New York Michael travelled to Washington

and attended the World Seafood Congress. From

Washington he went to Boston which is renowned

for its oysters and lobster and found many restau-

rants selling them at very affordable prices.

His next stop was Rockford, a town similar to

Victoria’s Queenscliff and like Queenscliff geared

to tourism. From there to Gloucter, a working

fishing village with fishing boats and fish facto-

ries.

On the way back to Australia he stopped by

Hawai and was amazed by what he saw.

Although there is very little seafood caught lo-

cally he visited a small local supermarket on the

quite side of the island of Awahou and was

amazed to see that the seafood section was quite

large with a dedicated sushi sushimi section and

an employee making sushi on the spot. They also

had a large display of Poke, in different marinades

that was advertised very widely. The supermarket

sells hundreds of kilos of Poke per week with a

weekly value of $250,000 US. Much of the tuna

used in Poke was imported frozen.

Michael Canals is the fourth generation member of his family to be

involved in the seafood industry.

At the Fish Market NYC and other places

Like the former Melbourne Wholesale Fish Market, Fish Market New York City, is of similar design, a long hall with refrigerated stalls on

the sides and the product displayed on the floor as Michael Canals of CQ Foods found.

The Fish Market NYC has a similar design to the former Melbourne Wholesale Fish Market, a long hall with refrigerated stalls on each side.

Crabs in bamboo crates on display

“The next ten years”Australasian Aquaculture 2012

Fish:

sardines, filleted, 1-2 fillets

prawns, 2-3 per person

squid,

fish fillet from fish that is not too oily: kingfish, barramundi, snapper, coral trout, dory, red em-

peror, 1 fillet per person, sliced thinly, no skin

Marinade, sufficient for 2 people:

lemon juice, 2 lemons

garlic, 2-3 cloves chopped finely

salt and freshly ground pepper

extra virgin olive oil, ¾ cup

parsley, ¾ cup chopped finely

chilli flakes (optional)

Raw marinated fish

If there is to be an antipasto before the pasta and

the main course, Sicilians like nothing better than

a platter of marinaded fish. The fish must be ex-

tremely fresh; it is marinaded for a few hours in

extra virgin olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice – in

fact it is not raw because the acid in the vinegar

or lemon in the marinade has done the cooking.

I prefer to use lemon juice.

The photo was taken in a restaurant in Mazara

del Vallo in South-Western Sicily. It is a medium-

sized city and one of the leading fishing harbours

of Sicily and of Italy. Many of Mazara’s fisher-

men sell their fish directly to restaurants.

Select fish to your liking but in mixed platter

there are prawns and scampi, squid and sardine

fillets. The paler looking fish fillet is arricciola,

a greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili). It is a

beautiful looking fish with a texture and taste

very similar to King Fish and it is wild caught in

Sicily and not farmed as it is in Japan.

The Sicilian restaurant owner told me that the

prawns and scampi on the plate were from a sus-

tainable fishery. Usually both prawns and scampi

are fished in ways that damage sea bed (by trawl-

ing), however it is possible to gather them in a

sustainable way which is less harmful. For ex-

ample in South Australia, The Spencer Gulf

prawn fishery has formally acquired Marine

Stewardship Council certification as a sustain-

able and well-managed fishery; is the first prawn

fishery in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region

to do so.

INGREDIENTS

PROCESSES

South Western Victoria is arguably the first

place where aquaculture was first practiced

thousands of years ago by the Gunditjmara

people. More specifically, at Lake Condah there

is evidence of a large, settled Aboriginal commu-

nity that systematically farmed eels for food and

trade in what is considered to be Australia’s and

possibly the region’s earliest and largest aquacul-

ture venture.

They built stone dams to hold the water, creating

ponds and wetlands in which they grew Southern

Shortfin Eels (Anguilla australis) and other fish.

They also created channels linking these wetlands.

The channels contained weirs with large woven

baskets made to harvest mature Eels.

Trees were hollowed out and used as smoking

‘ovens’ to cook the Eels and the modified and en-

gineered wetlands and Eel traps provided an eco-

nomic basis for the development of a settled

society with villages.

Today, Victorian aquaculture is undertaken on a

number of offshore, coastal and inland facilities

and includes the production of Rainbow Trout, At-

lantic Salmon (including hand milked caviar),

Abalone, Blue Mussel, Aquarium Finfish, Eel,

Murray Cod, Barramundi, Silver Perch, Golden

Perch and Yabby.

The industry however is confronted with a number

of challenges that are affecting its competitive-

ness. Challanges such as the virus outbreak in the

abalone sector, and the major production problems

faced by the trout and eel sectors due to frequent

droughts.

The Victorian Aquaculture Strategy aims to grow

the value of the Victorian aquaculture industry

from $22 million to $60 million by 2015 in a sus-

tainable manner.

Addressing these concerns and many others will

be the upcomming “Australasian Aquaculture

2012 Melbourne May 1-4.”

Since their inception, the biennial Australasian

Aquaculture conferences have been organised on

a joint venture basis between the Australian Na-

tional Aquaculture Council and World Aquacul-

ture Society-APC. For the Melbourne conference

there are different events scheduled for every day

from the 28th. April right through to the 6th of

May.

The naming rights sponsor, Skretting Australia

(the leading supplier of fish feed in Australasia),

and other important sponsors – Fisheries Research

& Development Corporation and Australian

Seafood Cooperative Research Centre – have

joined with the State Government of Victoria to

make the conference a success.

Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE is sponsor-

ing the venues for the Recirculation Aquaculture

System Workshop and the AquaEd event. Agri-

food Skills Australia is the key sponsor for

AquaEd along with Victorian Department of Ed-

ucation and Early Childhood Development. and

the Global Aquaculture Alliance is sponsoring the

Awards

The conference will be held at the Melbourne

Convention and Exhibition centre.

A mixed platter of raw marinated fish from Mazara del Vallo in South-Western Sicily Photo: Bob Evans

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together (except parsley and chilli).

Shell the prawns but leave the head. Devein.

Slice squid into strips.

Make sure that the fillet of fish is sliced thinly.

Place all the fish into a container, add the marinade and ensure that it is completely covered by the

marinade. If not, add more oil and lemon juice.

Place it in the fridge for at least two hours before serving.

Remove the fish from the marinade and place it on a serving plate. Sprinkle with the parsley and

chilli flakes and dribble some extra virgin olive oil on top (optional).

Decorate with black olives or as in the photo, grated carrot.

Fine tuning aspects of the “Australasian Aquaculture 2012” conference are The Australia/New Zealand Business Development Manager for

Global Aquaculture Alliance, Mr. Roy Palmer and Ms Sarah-Jane Day Conference Coordinator.

Sea cucumbers, lobsters and other fish

species are in danger of disappearing

from Pacific island fisheries unless they

are protected by villagers and local fishermen

through measures recommended by a new series

of information sheets.

Actions such as reducing or stopping the use of

SCUBA to fish for such species are some of the

measures recommended in 16 information

sheets, especially targeted at Pacific Communi-

ties, and launched reently in Suva, Fiji.

The sheets, developed by scientists and man-

agers from the Secretariat of the Pacific Com-

munity (SPC) and the Locally-Managed Marine

Area (LMMA) Network, are in response to the

urgent need to protect the region’s coastal fish-

eries in the face of projected climate change im-

pacts and increasing population growth.

The Pacific population is predicted to increase

by 50 per cent by 2030 and already many reef

systems are struggling from intense fishing pres-

sure.

SPC research indicates that tropical Pacific reef

fish populations could decline by up to 20 per

cent by 2050 and up to 50 per cent by 2100. Cli-

mate change will affect fish population distribu-

tion and numbers as rising sea temperatures

reduces the food available to reef fish and

changes the timing and success of fish reproduc-

tion.

Most coastal communities in the Pacific rely on

reef fisheries for food, and fewer fish in their

catches will increase the gap between available

fish and the protein needed for their food secu-

rity.

The average annual consumption of fish per per-

son (including shellfish) by coastal Pacific pop-

ulations ranges from 30–118 kilograms in

Melanesia, 62–115 kilograms in Micronesia,

and 50–146 kilograms in Polynesia. This is sig-

nificantly more than the annual consumption

globally of just 17 kilograms per person.

“It’s good to have something ready for our next

generation. I see that there’s plenty of fish, but

we know that it takes many years for the growth

of the coral and for fishes to give birth,” said

Kini Ravonoloa, Votua Village Chief and

FLMMA representative for Koroleviwai.

“My advice is that we should keep a place pro-

tected for the fishes and other organisms that

they live in the sea to have more time to repro-

duce.”

Management programs already in place in Fiji

have proven successful. “We have increased the

number of MPAs [closed areas] in our village

because the communities, the chiefs, have seen

the benefits from what we have been doing.

Now we have three, two on the mudflats near

my village for the clams and other small species,

and one on the reefs for fish and sea cucumbers,

not only for my village, but for the benefit of the

whole district” said Pio Radikedike, site man-

ager for Veratavou, Viti Levu in Fiji.

Dr Hugh Govan, advisor for the LMMA Net-

work, says the combination of local community

knowledge and scientific research is invaluable.

“Communities in the Pacific are well placed to

manage their own fisheries as they still usually

have traditional and local knowledge of their

areas and resources. In fact over 400 commu-

nities are known to be managing their inshore

areas in the Pacific,” he says.

“However, communities gain much from access

to scientific information on aspects of biology

and ecology or experiences of communities else-

where to help improve their management prac-

tices in the face of emerging modern

challenges.”

The information sheets will be distributed to

communities across the Pacific. Funding for the

printing and distribution of the information

sheets was provided by the European Union-

funded SciCOFish (scientific support for the

management of coastal and oceanic fisheries in

the Pacific Islands region) project.

“What is unique about these sheets is that, to-

gether, the SPC and LMMA Network are trying

to get a consistent message to all Pacific com-

munities in terms of resource management,”

says Ian Bertram, Coastal Fisheries Science and

Management Adviser for the SPC.

Pacific communities

better able to save

reef fisheries with

new information

sheets

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